With over 23 years of expertise, Mike Ogbalu III is a stalwart in Africa’s digital and financial technology sectors. His experience in enterprise-wide IT infrastructure and in retail, commercial, and e-business banking is evidence of his impeccable skills and leadership.
Ogbalu, a seasoned engineer, has many feathers to his cap in his quest to transform commerce on the continent
Having worked as an intern at ExxonMobil, at the Primary Place of Assignment in fulfilment of his mandatory service with the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), Ogbalu was positioned as Head of Hardware and Networks at Standard Trust Bank, kicking off his career in the financial technology sector.
Ogbalu held roles as the Group Head of NRN and Funds Transfer at the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Group Head of CID & FT Group Head of eSolutions Afribank Nigeria, and Head, of Cards and eProducts at Ecobank Nigeria.
He positioned Ecobank as a leading provider of e-banking products in Nigeria and a key enabler of transaction flows in middle Africa. His scope includes card products, ATMs, POS, Mobile Money Banking, Internet banking, and remittances. He also oversaw Afribank (now Polaris Bank) remittance, Diaspora banking, and E-Business, with responsibilities impacting both the balance sheet and P&L.
At First Bank Nigeria, Ogbalu assumed the role of Head of Mobile Financial Services and CEO of Pridar Systems Limited- one of the bank’s subsidiaries. He supervised the bank’s mobile financial service operation, in building the largest and most successful mobile money operation in Africa.
In quest to bridging the access gaps, using innovative technology at Interswitch Inclusion, Ogbalu took as Divisional Chief Executive Officer of the leading African integrated payments and digital commerce platform company. He served as CEO of Nigeria’s Verve, a leading card payment company.
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Ogbalu currently holds the position of CEO of the Pan African Payment Settlement System (PAPSS), Ogbalu is facing his most ambitious project yet. Launched by the African Union in January 2022, PAPSS aims to streamline the payment process within the African Continental Free Trade Area, a 54-country trading bloc established in 2018.
Mike Ogbalu III is an electrical and electronic engineer and a fellow of the International Academy of Cards and Payments with an MBA from the prestigious Lagos Business School.
